CNN is reporting the Trump campaign was involved in extensive communications with the Russians during the 2016 presidential election campaign. Communications between Russian operatives and the Trump campaign certainly is cause to raise owns eyebrows. If true it lends credibility to the argument the presidential election was influenced by the Russians, possibly tipping the outcome in Trump’s favor.
Any foreign influence and involvement in United States elections puts our democratic republic as great risk. Putin, who is arguably intellectually superior to Trump and clever as hell, knows how to play Trump. Trump’s narcissism and huge ego makes him an easy mark. If Russian influenced the outcome of the 2016 presidential election Trump would theoretically be indebted to Putin.
Let the investigations continue. In great earnestness.
High-level advisers close to then-presidential nominee Donald Trump were in constant communication during the campaign with Russians known to US intelligence, multiple current and former intelligence, law enforcement and administration officials tell CNN.
President-elect Trump and then-President Barack Obama were both briefed on details of the extensive communications between suspected Russian operatives and people associated with the Trump campaign and the Trump business, according to US officials familiar with the matter.
Both the frequency of the communications during early summer and the proximity to Trump of those involved “raised a red flag” with US intelligence and law enforcement, according to these officials. The communications were intercepted during routine intelligence collection targeting Russian officials and other Russian nationals known to US intelligence.Among several senior Trump advisers regularly communicating with Russian nationals were then-campaign chairman Paul Manafort and then-adviser Michael Flynn.SKIPAdding to US investigators’ concerns were intercepted communications between Russian officials before and after the election discussing their belief that they had special access to Trump, two law enforcement officials tell CNN. These officials cautioned the Russians could have been exaggerating their access.Trump dismissed the claims that his advisers had close ties to Russia in a tweet Wednesday.“This Russian connection non-sense is merely an attempt to cover-up the many mistakes made in Hillary Clinton’s losing campaign,” Trump tweeted.SKIP
The FBI and US intelligence agencies continue to try to determine what the motive for the communications were.One concern was whether Trump associates were coordinating with Russian intelligence operatives over the release of damaging information about the Hillary Clinton campaign.“If that were the case, then that would escalate things,” one official briefed on the investigation said. Full story BELOW THE FOLD.
